Page 22 of Big Filthy Cowboy

“You or Skip?” He’s still focused on the water bottle, picking at the label then smoothing it down again.

“Me.”

“Poor girl.”

I toss my empty water bottle at his head, and for the first time all night, he cracks a genuine smile. “She’s going to be your future sister-in-law.”

“Good, I got a real shortage of those. Are you going to show me a picture of her or do I have to wait until the wedding to see her?”

I pull my phone from my shirt pocket and flick through the last few photos on my phone, landing on my favorite one from this past week. It’s Sadie at the mixer in her bakery. She has a soft smile on her face. Behind her, the late afternoon sun streams through the window, giving her an ethereal glow.

“Pretty,” he says when he sees the picture. He’s understating it, and we both know that. But Zac is a smart man. He knowsdamn well not to stare too long or offer more than an approving word on her beauty.

“I’m going to settle down with her the moment I can get a ring on her finger,” I tell him. While I was on the road, I stopped in at one of the big city jewelry stores and found a ring for my girl. I was texting Dotty while I did it, getting her insights into what type of ring my girl would like.

Zac smiles wistfully.

“It’ll happen for you soon,” I promise him. I still can’t believe how quickly my whole life has changed. Last week I was content being a single guy with his three-legged dog. Now I can’t wait until the day I have a house full of kids and a minivan full of crushed cereal.

He shrugs. “I’ve been all over, and I haven’t found her. Maybe I’m not meant to.”

“She’s out there for you. One day, love is going to hit you out of the blue,” I reassure him. I don’t know where she is or who she is, but I’m certain there’s a soulmate out there for my younger brother.

My phone rings, and I frown when I see Sadie’s name on my caller ID. We already talked tonight. She said she was going to watch a movie then head to bed early.

I swipe the screen to answer, bracing myself for whatever news she’s about to share.

Sadie

“And then we went up into the hayloft,” I tell Dotty, emphasizing the last word.

She giggles. “Does that mean what I’m thinking?”

“Mmm-hmm,” I hum as I finish cleaning the kitchen of my apartment. It’s late, and I’m having trouble sleeping again. Coco is darting around my feet anxiously. There’s a bad storm headed for Courage County, and I think he senses it.

“I take it cowboys really do it better,” she says.

“He makes me feel safe,” I tell her, thinking again of his promises to marry me and give me a baby. I hope we’re able to do that stuff soon.

Dotty sighs softly. “I need to find a cowboy.”

“He has a brother. Three of them,” I point out. I tried to figure out why he was going to see Zac in the middle of a tour, but Barrett was cryptic about it.

“Probably not my type,” she says then changes the subject, “So, the fated mate one, have you gotten to the scene where he restrains her? I’ve read it like three times. So hot.”

I chuckle, and we talk about the purple alien romance we’re reading and the hero’s obsession with tying up the heroine. I didn’t think I had a thing for that, but now I think I do. Romance books give me the freedom to explore my secret fantasies without shame or judgement.

The windowpanes shake as the thunder rumbles outside. I glance out the window in time to see lightning flash.

Dotty says something in response, but I can’t tell what it is because the phone call begins to breakup. I catch scattered fragments from her side of the conversation. Something about a warning.

Before I can ask about it, there’s the noise of a rushing wind. It almost sounds like a freight train is about to barrel through my little apartment.

The glass in the windows shatters, and my kitchen floor instantly becomes a sea of shards. I drop my phone just as the power shuts off. My mouth goes dry, and I crumple to my knees. Beside me, Coco lets out a panicked whine.

I put my hand on her, trying to steady both of us. But I can’t think. There’s only the overwhelming darkness. Automatically, my eyes begin straining for a sliver of light.

As a kid, I’d watch underneath the door for hours, trying to tell what time of day it was by how much light I could see. Except tonight there is no light. Inky blackness surrounds me, and I’m certain it’s going to swallow me whole.

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