Page 55 of Cowboy Don't Go

“Same. But I guess we don’t have to. None of it makes sense anyway.”

“I think we make sense,” he said. “Total sense. It’s been a long time coming.”

She spread her fingers across his chest. “I like the way you say that.”

“I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. Because it’s true.”

She lay, with her head on his shoulder, listening to the birds outside the window. “Maybe we should keep this between us for a while though. Until . . . I don’t know. I don’t want Ryan knowing what just happened.”

“Understood. But eventually—”

“Yes,” she finished. “Eventually they’ll all know. Just for now . . .”

He nodded. “I can keep a secret.”

“As long as it’s not between us.”

“No secrets,” he said, staring up at the ceiling.

She nodded, content. “Just a little more time.”

He rolled over her and kissed her again. It was a permanent sort of kiss, without the franticness of passion. But deep and kind. The sort of kiss she guessed lovers shared over a lifetime of kisses. And for the first time in forever, she began to imagine the possibility of that for herself and for him.

*

The next week was filled with busyness on the ranch, with construction and Kholá’s final training sessions with Ryan. Even though Kholá had started from square one with Ryan, the kid’s bond with the horse was undeniable. He’d managed to do what Cooper had thought was impossible in the allotted time frame and had a good chance of winning in the upcoming competition in his opinion.

Of course, it remained to be seen what the other kids had managed with their own horses. But even more important, Cooper felt the bond between him and Ryan deepening as well. He wanted that. He needed Ryan to trust him, too. But even aside from his growing relationship with Shay, his friendship and mentorship with Ryan felt important. And as the days passed, he felt more hopeful than he had in a long time.

Liam’s newlywed friends, Carolyn and Jess Brody, arrived and tested out the glamping tent for a long weekend honeymoon, complete with lazy afternoons spent fly-fishing in the Yellowstone or trail riding in the mountains. Evenings they all gathered around the campfire, eating Sarah’s wonderful cooking, and watching the Milky Way spin across the night sky.

They raved about having a luxe four-poster bed and all the amenities in the tent, and how the sounds of the prairie had lulled them into the best sleep of their lives. Frankly, no one—particularly Shay and Cooper—believed that was the only reason they slept well, but that was another story.

All in all, their inaugural stay was a smashing success and the Brodys left after their weekend, happy with promises to return for a longer stay with their friends.

As for Shay and Cooper, through much of October, they kept their growing relationship under wraps around the others, particularly Ryan. They’d met secretly a few times since that first afternoon at Cooper’s father’s place and their encounters had not been any less hungry than that first time together. They both knew the consequences of what they were doing. Yet unspoken, was where this was all headed. Neither of them had used weighted words yet, like love or the future. He didn’t want to risk spooking her when everything was going well. So, he held back. But to himself, there was no denying his feelings. This was a leap into the unknown for both of them, but one he was more than willing to take.

Apparently, he’d seriously underestimated the intuitive nature of teenage boys.

On the afternoon, two days before the big competition at the autumn festival, he was watching Ryan work with Kholá in the big ring. Today, he was working bareback, reinless, working on the trust that went both ways between them, using his legs to guide the filly in big figure eights around the ring. Kholá seemed happy to oblige him, ears perked forward, all the tentativeness gone from her stride. Even Cooper was impressed.

When Ryan stopped Kholá near the gate and swung his leg over her neck carefully to dismount, the horse nuzzled the boy.

Ryan grinned at Cooper. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a natural. I think what you’ve accomplished with her is amazing. Whether you win this competition or not, you’ve more than surpassed what you set out to do. She’s all the better for it.”

Ryan stroked Kholá’s nose. “I knew she was the one, from the first time I saw her online. I’ve, um . . . decided not to enter the competition though.”

“What?” Cooper couldn’t believe it. “Why not?”

The boy tucked the filly’s head against his chest. “Because I think she can win. I think she will win. The winner gets prize money and then the horse is auctioned off. That’s how they do it. It could be for a lot of money. Could even pay for my college. But I don’t even care. I’ve decided. I’m never selling her. Ever. I’ll earn money to pay Uncle Liam back for her next summer. I mean look at her. She did all this for me. This is the least I can do for her.”

Giving a rescue horse a forever home was no small thing. “Wow. That’s a big decision. A hard one. Kinda proud of you for making it, Ry. She’s maybe your first true love, this horse.”

Ryan blushed a little but nodded. He watched him out of the corner of his eye for a long beat before he spoke again. “So, is that how you feel about my mom?”

“What?” Caught off guard, Cooper took a step back from the fence. “What makes you say that?”

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