Page 52 of Bull Rush

“Back then or now?”

I sigh and tilt my head to the side before I take a sip of beer. That was the question, wasn’t it? If I could only figure out how to apologize to her now, in a way that meant something to her.

“Right.” Cooper nods, understanding me without having to explain more.

When we returnfrom our trip to town, Bea and Hazel are just getting back from their ride and want showers before they change for dinner. So I take Cooper around the property in the truck, showing him the ranch and some of the trails. We’re finishing up in the old pole barn that’s full of my family’s stuff while we wait.

“So what happens if she takes the ranch and runs? Are you leaving all this stuff here?”

“No. I’ll have to move it to wherever I end up. But I need to go through it first, and a lot of it are things that belongedto my parents.”

“She kept it all here for you?” Cooper looks at me surprised.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Nothing. I’m just pretty sure Bea wouldn’t have done that for Rob.”

“What wouldn’t I have done?” Bea pipes up, and we turn around to see the two of them have returned, showered and dressed.

“You look gorgeous,” Cooper responds, instead of answering her question. He takes her hand and spins her around. She’s wearing a sundress and a pair of boots.

“Had to dress the part if I was going to be on a ranch. Hazel let me use them for riding, but I might have to get a pair.” Bea grins.

“They look good on you.” He returns her smile with the kind of ease that makes me grin like an idiot just watching them.

“Ooh. We should go dancing somewhere.” Bea spins again, and Cooper dips her over.

“You think?” Cooper asks.

I turn my attention to Hazel, and she’s smiling at them so hard I think she might be falling for them herself. My eyes travel over her; she’s wearing a black dress that hugs her curves and flares at her waist with her own pair of black cowboy boots. I couldn’t dream up someone more beautiful than her, and I’m racking my brain for something to say that won’t make her glare at me, but she speaks before I can.

“Wait… what’s on your wrists?” Hazel asks, noting the spot where black ink marks the inside of each of their wrists as Cooper spins her around one last time. “Do you have matching tattoos? That’s adorable.”

“They don’t quite match.” Cooper smirks.

“Close enough. I was just a little later.” Bea gives him alook but kisses him softly and then returns her attention to Hazel, holding out her wrist for her to inspect. “They were Cooper’s idea because neither of us had one.”

“It was really your idea. Your bucket list and all.” Cooper smiles at her the way only someone completely lost in another person can.

“Well, true. But the tattoo idea was his. They’re the coordinates of where each of us was when we realized we were falling for the other one.”

“Oh my god. That’s so…” Hazel’s eyes go wide, and she looks between them. “That’s just… wow.” Hazel’s lost for words, and that’s a rarity.

“Oh, I’m sure whatever Ramsey’s done for you is just as romantic.”

My mind flashes through all the things I’ve done since I got here, and I feel guilt swirl in my gut. But Hazel smiles at me like I’m the sweetest man she’s ever met.

“He can be very romantic when he wants to be.” She covers for me, and that makes the guilt turn into knots.Fuck.

“Speaking of romantic… dancing?” Bea suggests again. “Is there somewhere we can go? I’ve always wanted to learn line dancing.”

“My friend has a place in town. Seven Sins. She teaches too. We can get dinner and head over there. Ramsey doesn’t dance though.” Hazel flashes a grin in my direction, like she’s curious to see if I’ll try again for my friends’ sake.

“I don’t mind watching.” I shake my head, not wanting to let anyone down. “You and Dakota can teach them, and I can keep the drinks coming.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Cooper looks at me thoughtfully.

“All right. Dinner and dancing lessons it is.” Hazel and Bea take off for the car while we trailbehind.

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