Page 71 of Cowboy Don't Go

Ray was staying. Sarah had seen to that. Cooper was leaving his dad in good hands. And for the first time in a very long time, Ray seemed happy even as he’d tried to talk Cooper out of going. Cooper promised him he’d visit or send a plane ticket for Ray to visit him. He vowed not to let more than a few months pass without getting together. Eight years apart was long enough.

And the Four Sixes said they’d take him back, even on a temporary basis until he worked out his next plan. That was good. He had friends there. He would be all right.

Eventually.

In the distance, he caught sight of someone riding in his direction on horseback, which was unusual, to say the least. It took him a minute to recognize Ryan and Kholá trotting toward him up the long drive.

Cooper got to his feet. What in the world was that kid doing out here with such a green horse, crossing roads and pastures full of cattle? Not only that, but he was also riding bareback.

The potential disastrous scenarios arising from a stunt like that sent a chill through him.

Ryan trotted up into the yard and stopped in front of him. Kholá snorted and pranced to a stop. Ry was looking very proud of himself.

Cooper caught the reins and frowned. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are that you’ve gotten here in one piece? That this horse has arrived here unharmed?”

Ry slid off the horse and scratched Kholá on the neck. “You say luck, I say skill.”

This cocky kid . . . “What the hell, Ryan?”

“What? We’re fine. I told her we had to come see you and she agreed. And since I don’t have a car or a driver’s license, and I know you were just going to leave without saying goodbye to me—”

Cooper’s face heated. “I didn’t mean for it to go down that way. I meant to come over before I left.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s just lame.” As Kholá dipped her head and yanked mouthfuls of grass from his overgrown yard, Ryan took in the FOR SALE sign posted in the yard. “So, what? You’re just gonna ditch all of us? Just because of a little fight with my mom? Sorry, but that’s just BS. She’s basically been a train wreck in the kitchen since you left. Like, baking crazy amounts of desserts and stuff. And cleaning random corners and under beds like she thinks nobody notices what she’s trying to do.”

“Which is what, exactly?”

Ryan shoved a hand through his wind-blown forelock haircut. “Feel better about what happened with you, I guess. I don’t know. We’re not really talking much.”

Cooper rolled his eyes shut. Great. Add that to the list of damage he’d left behind him. “What happened was my fault,” he told Ryan. “Your mom had every right to be angry with me.”

“For what? Just because you found out the truth about my grandpa? Besides, you said you loved her. You told me so yourself.”

“I-I did. I still do. But that’s not always enough.”

“Well.” Ryan threw his arms wide. “I am disillusioned then.”

Cooper bit back a smile at this boy-man in front of him. God, he was going to miss him. “No, you’re not. You know what love is. She loves you more than anything. So, don’t hold this against her. She protects you and everyone she loves fiercely. And that’s always going to be her first priority. You gotta be the bigger man, here. Be there for her. Because maybe she’s hurting, too.”

He looked about to argue his point further, when they both heard the sound of a truck barreling down their road. Cooper’s stomach twisted. It was Shay. And beside her, riding shotgun-wingman-soldier-in-arms, was Cami.

Shay was out of the truck, running in their direction before Cami could open her door.

*

“Ryan August Hardesty!” Shay reached for Ryan pulling him up hard against her in a hug. “What were you thinking taking Kholá out this far? You two could have been hit by a car, you could’ve been thrown, or killed.”

“We’re fine. Anyway, how else was I going to get you out here to talk to him?” he muttered in her ear.

She pushed back from him to stare in surprise. “You—” He was doing that little thing with his mouth that he did when he was up to no good. “So help me . . .” Her eyes teared up. “Okay, you. Go sit in the car with Aunt Cami. We’ll talk later.”

“But—”

She held her palm up. “And we’re going to bring the trailer back for Kholá. You will not be riding her home.”

“Fine.”

“Fine!”

---