Page 99 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

“Okay. I will – when you tell me.”

“You don’t have to do a damn thing, if you don’t want to.”

She gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t understand.”

“I mean if you want to take it easy and not work, you can just hang out. I mean, sure you can help out wherever you want – especially with the horses.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I know Tanner would love that.”

She laughed. “I hope you know that you have no worries whatsoever about that?”

He nodded, but he didn’t look totally convinced.

“I’m serious, Ty. I get it – he’s a good-looking guy, but for one thing, I only have eyes for you. And for another, even if I’d never met you, I wouldn’t be attracted to him. Just because you can see that someone is objectively good-looking, it doesn’t mean that you find them attractive.”

She liked that he took his time to think about it before he nodded. “Yeah. I can see that.” He gave her a rueful smile. “You’re not just bullshitting me so that you don’t hurt my feelings?”

She laughed. “I promise you. And going back to what you were saying – I appreciate that you want me to take it easy, but I need to work, Ty. I have tuition to pay, and I don’t know what kind of rent we’ll have on this place, but I want to pay my way. I’m no freeloader.”

He took her chin in his hand and made her look into his eyes. “I know that, sweetheart. But I want you to know that I can cover whatever we need. Wade’s not going to charge us rent on this place. I make decent money, and …” He glanced over both shoulders as if making sure there was no one around to hear what he said next. “I saved most of what I made while I was active duty. I didn’t need much to live on, so I stashed most of it away. I can take care of us. I can pay your …”

She touched his cheek. “I love that you feel that way, Ty. I really do but …”

He nodded. “But you’re used to doing everything for yourself and that would be too weird, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I figured you’d say that – I’m not trying to come into your life and take over – but I need you to know that’s how I see it. If you want to do nothing other than study, I’m fine with that.”

She leaned in to kiss him. “Thank you. And are you just as fine with me needing to work and pay my way?”

He touched the pendant that hung around her neck. “I am, you’re my little busy bee, I get it. But if you start doing too much – getting tired from over working, then we might get into our first fight.”

She nodded slowly. “We are going to fight, aren’t we? I can’t imagine it yet, but it’ll come. It’s like Cash said – if we don’t, we’d be the first couple in the history of couples.”

“Yeah, and I kept meaning to tell you that I hope you’ll take him at his word. If you get mad at me, or if I hurt your feelings, and you need someone to talk to – you call him. The girls all gave you their numbers, too, and you might be more comfortable talking to them, but …” He chuckled. “Cash will have your back. He’ll kick my ass for me. And he’s great at talking you through stuff when you need someone.”

“And you wouldn’t mind?”

“Hell no! I want you to know without a doubt that he meant it, and that you have him in your corner. He was right that you need to know you have someone here. I know he’s not here physically, but one of the family. He didn’t want you to feel like you’re all on your own amongst my family. I don’t want that, either.” He held her gaze for a long moment. “I want them to become your family.”

“Okay.” She didn’t want to jump to the wrong conclusion, but it sounded like he meant … The way that his family would become her family was if …

He nodded and pushed to his feet. “But this isn’t getting the day started, is it?” He topped up her coffee before turning to go back inside. “I’ll go get dressed.”

She laughed as she watched him go. “Did you do that on purpose – come out with your naked chest on display?”

He turned back when he reached the door. “Damn straight I did. You looked like you were enjoying the view, so I wanted to remind you that there’s more than the mountains around here for you to fall in love with.”

“I already fell for you, Ty. In a big way.”

“Not as hard as I fell for you, sweetheart.” He grinned and turned around to shake his ass before he disappeared through the door. “And I don’t see the harm in trying to remind you why you should fall into bed with me again as soon as we get back.”

She grinned as she watched him go. “You’re talking crazy again – as if I’d need reminding!”

~ ~ ~

Ty glanced over at her as they rode back up to the big house after talking to Wade at the lodge. She’d been enthusiastic about maybe working behind the bar there – serving guests at lunchtime. That worked for him, if she wanted to do it – he was there at lunchtime. He was glad that Wade hadn’t even suggested that she should cover the evening shifts. He’d hang out in the bar if she needed to work then, but he’d rather shestayed home and was able to do her schoolwork, and he could be with her.

“How’d you feel about the lodge?”

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