Page 31 of Cowboy Don't Go

“Literally, this gigantic salmon missed my face by mere inches as these two fish mongers tossed it back and forth up at Pike Place Market,” she said, laughing, handing Shay a rinsed plate. “And while Will yanked me out of the way because I wasn’t paying any attention, I’m pretty sure those two would never have hit me. They’re like jugglers—only with slimy fish!”

Shay laughed. “And did you buy it? The fish?”

“Me? Cook on vacation? That would be sacrilege, really. No. But we did have fun talking to the juggler brothers after. One of them held a PhD in medieval history and used to teach at Oxford, and the other one was a former Special Forces Marine. But they were happy as clams with their work there. Just goes to show you. You can’t judge a book by its cover. And the market itself had all kinds of cute stuff and we found a few fun décor pieces for the glamping tents there.

“And later that day, we ate at a cute little place on Bell Harbor with fresh oysters and unbelievable seafood that melted us into little puddles of incandescent joy. And it made us want to live near the ocean.”

Shay looked up, stricken.

“But only for a minute,” Izzy quickly assured her. “And really just for the fresh oysters. We missed this place terribly, even with all the fabulous shopping there and seeing my friend, Carrie, and her three babies, who were adorable. The Pacific Northwest is gorgeous with all the trees and the water, but nothing really compares to Montana.”

“Even with the long winters?” Shay asked, knowing that winters here were especially hard on newbies.

“Even so. I mean, it’s just an excuse to cuddle in front of the fire, right?”

Shay sighed. “Sadly, Ryan is not into cuddling anymore. Fourteen, you know?”

“Welp. I guess that just means you’ll have to find another cuddling partner.” She glanced out the window at Cooper in the pens. “What about him?”

Shay found herself blushing, unable to stop it. “What about him?”

Izzy shrugged. “Liam says he’s a good guy. And you have to admit he’s hot.” At Shay’s sideways look, she added. “What? I’m taken, but I’m not dead. And you do realize that I have two almost sisters-in-law who are in dire need of cuddle partners.”

Izzy ducked, laughing as Shay splashed five fingers full of soapy water at her. “I’ve managed to make it this far on my own, and I’m certainly not in dire need of any man.” She slid a stack of dry plates into the cupboard.

“Okay. Maybe not dire need,” Izzy agreed. “Maybe I was overstating. What I meant was, it would be nice, and what’s wrong with him?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Do you two have history?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Not really. Though I’ve known him forever. It’s just not a good idea. He works for us now and besides, there’s his father . . .”

“I heard about that, too. So, you lump Cooper in with all that business with his dad?”

“No.” Maybe. “Of course not. It’s just that I’m not looking to get involved with anyone right now. Especially someone as complicated as Cooper.”

“I wasn’t looking last summer, either. Especially after what my ex, Theo, did. I was technically, and in every other way, finished with relationships. But then . . .” She sighed. “There was Will. I was lucky, I guess. But some part of luck is being present. In the moment. Not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. At least, I think so.”

“I’m a single mom. I have to worry about those things.”

Izzy clucked her tongue. “Listen to me, giving you advice. You’re my role model for the best mom. Because, as you may have heard, my own mom wouldn’t win any awards in that department. And I’m just kind of figuring out how all the rest of this works. So, just ignore me.”

“Hey,” Shay said. “I’ll never ignore you. I may not take your advice, but I’ll never ignore you. Because I think you’re wise beyond your years, Izzy. And Will couldn’t have made a better choice in you. This whole thing with Cooper and his father . . . it’s tricky. But it’s mostly me being stuck worrying about other people’s opinions, trying to get this guest ranch going, and also me being totally out of practice with men. I thought I knew who he was, but every day, he strips away another piece I was wrong about, tosses it aside. Now I’m really not sure who he is.”

Izzy winked and handed her another plate to dry. “Finding out can be half the fun.”

Chapter Six

The sun was setting over Copper Mountain a few days later, casting the prairie and everything between in a purple-pink wash of color. Skies like this one were often seen during a fire or a storm, but tonight was perfect, with no sign of rain. In the distance, the wild mustangs grazed in the dim light, huddled together in groups, a few of this season’s foals napping close by their mamas. The scene could have been ripped off a postcard advertising Montana with the mountains in the distance and the occasional glimmer of the snaking Yellowstone in between.

Shay wandered out from the house to the corrals where she saw Cooper giving the new horses evening treats—carrots and sugar lumps, which were Kholá’s personal favorite.

Her annoyance with Cooper being such an eyeful had begun to wane, despite her best intentions to ignore him. Instead, she now and then allowed herself to sneak a look to appreciate his beauty. His ripped torso, muscular arms, the way his denim followed the curve of his butt.

To say nothing about his eyes—as green as the Montana prairie after a storm. And the way he looked at her sometimes as if there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it. Gone was that nerdy boy who’d once been, and in his place, this beautiful man, who sent unwanted prickles of heat to her core when she was close to him and made her forget that ogling his rear end was a very bad idea.

Shay straightened, embarrassed. That’s so cringe, Mom, she could almost hear Ryan saying. Cringe. Yeah.

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