Page 15 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

“Oh, shit! You’re right. He finally got together with Tori, and they moved there and opened a bar.”

Kolby nodded. “Yep. So, if you want to go visit this girl, you have a friend in town.”

Tanner laughed. “And another option for getting a photo of her.”

Kolby gave him a puzzled look. “You haven’t seen a photo of her?”

“Nope.” He grinned. “But Chance assured me that she’s hot – he said she reminds him of Hope.”

“Wow! Then if I were you, I wouldn’t be too worried. So, what’s the deal, are you going to meet her?”

He shrugged. “We only just started talking. I dunno. It might not go anywhere.”

“Have you heard back from her yet?” Tanner asked. “You said you set the emails to go to spam, so you’ll have to log in to see if she messaged you.”

He had a point. Ty took his phone out to check, even though he didn’t expect that she would’ve answered him yet.

He grinned when he saw that she had.

“Look at that smile!” said Kolby.

He jumped down from the fence and started walking back up to the house. “I’ll be back.”

Tanner laughed, and Kolby called, “Make sure you do come back; I came out here to see you.”

He waved over his shoulder. He wasn’t going to skip the chance to spend some time with his twin, but he wanted to see what Shayna had to say for herself.

He took a seat on the back porch and opened the message.

Hi Tyler

This is just a quickie because I have to go to work in a minute. I didn’t want to leave you dangling, wondering if I was going to answer again.

The first thing I want to say is – thank you for your service. My dad was a military man. I have a lot of respect for everyone who’s served.

Since you shared your dream, I’ll tell you mine. I’m working toward getting my degree in psychology online. I want to be a therapist and work with vets who are suffering from PTSD someday. It’ll take me a while because I can only take a class or two at a time.

I work a bunch of part time jobs. I need to get to the grocery store for my shift there in a minute, I was at the barn mucking out stalls this morning, and I’ll be behind the bar at the local resort, serving drinks tonight. You said you sound boring – you don’t. I know my life doesn’t sound glamorous – because it’s not, haha! If you’re looking for a glamorous chick, I’m not your girl.

I’ll tell you more later. I feel like I should send you a photo, so you know what you’re dealing with, but for one thing you didn’t send me one, and for another, I really have to go or I’m going to be late for work.

Hope you have yourself a great day.

Shayna

Chapter Four

Hi Shayna

Sounds like you keep life interesting if not glamorous. Lots of variety in those jobs of yours. Do you enjoy them? If you work at a barn mucking out stalls, do you ride? I was thinking that we might not have anything in common but that might be something.

Ha! Now, I’m wondering if I should delete that in case you don’t ride. But we might as well be honest, right?

Chance told me that you also teach classes at the gym – what kind of classes? I probably shouldn’t admit this but – again, in the interest of being honest – I’m swinging between picturing you as a pretty gym-babe one minute, and a female bodybuilder with a mustache and a mean streak, who might kick my ass for me, the next. (Not saying that there’s anything wrong with bodybuilders – they’re just not my type.)

I want to ask you for a photo so bad – but I also kind of feel like that might change how we get to know each other. What do you think? I don’t want you to be wondering if I’m fugly. So, if you’re worried about that, I’ll send you one. I should admit that April told me you’re a hot blonde, and Chance confirmed that – he said that you kind of remind him of Hope. So, this might be a bit one-sided. For all you know, I might be a Shrek lookalike!

I love that you know what you want to do in life – and that you’re working your ass off to make it happen. How many years of school do you have left before you’ll be able to do the kind of work you really want to? And you thanked me for my service, I want to saythank you, too. So many folks struggleafter they come home. In theory, there’s support available, but … I guess you know the statistics on how many opt out before they get the support they need.

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