Page 20 of A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy

Duke brushed her off and opened the door for her. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes you are. You volunteer at the animal shelter. You donate to the woman’s shelter. Let me guess—you’ve donated both of your kidneys, too.”

At that, he laughed. “I have both of my kidneys, I assure you.” He practically pushed her into the truck. “Come on. We still have to drop off the stuff I got for the animal shelter.” She gaped at him as he shut the door and walked around the vehicle. The second he got behind the wheel, she faced him. “There has to be something wrong with you I’m not seeing.”

He smirked at her.

“I mean it. Besides your disregard for my career choice, you’re practically perfect.”

“I’m not perfect,” he murmured, putting the truck into reverse. “I know plenty of people who would argue with that sentiment.”

“Oh yeah? Name one.”

“My father.”

Her head reared back. What was she supposed to say to that? He hadn’t mentioned his family besides having a sister. What could he have possibly done to assume his family didn’t approve of him?

When he didn’t expand on his statement, she prodded him.

“Why do you say that?”

Duke heaved a sigh. “Because when I was just out of school… basically, instead of staying in England and helping my family with our farm, I chose to move across the world and I ended up working here in Texas. It doesn’t get any farther than that.”

“You could have moved to California…” she whispered. That joke was in bad taste and she knew it the second she said it without having to see the disgusted look she assumed would be on his face. Sophie cleared her throat and hurried to cover up what she’d said. She placed a hand on his forearm and murmured, “I’m sure you’re wrong.”

He shook his head.

“Unless he said so to your face?—”

“It’s too late for that now, he’s dead.”

She sucked in sharply.

“And my mother and sister are running things in Yorkshire now.”

Sophie blinked a few times. “Sounds like they’re doing okay if they’re taking that trip.”

He shrugged, not looking directly at her.

“Sometimes we’re pulled in different directions than we originally planned. It happens for reasons we won’t understand until far later in our life. You came here and made something of yourself. There’s no shame in that.”

“But—”

“Believe me, Duke. You’re where you’re meant to be. I asked my brother about what you do. He says you’re the best. And that’s saying something because Rob has a ton of experience.”

Duke’s lips thinned and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She squeezed his forearm briefly before withdrawing from him.

“Don’t let your inner turmoil stand in the way of enjoying what you’ve achieved.”

At some point they’d arrived at the animal shelter. He glanced at her. “Wait here, and I’ll take you back to town.”

Sophie watched him hurry inside, arms loaded up with blankets, toys, and a couple bags of food. When he returned, the air seemed tighter somehow. It was like the oxygen had been sucked from the truck itself. They drove back to town in silence and all Sophie could think about was trying to break the tensions that had formed around them.

He opened her door and helped her out. “Where did you park?”

She flung a finger in the direction of the town’s wishing well. “Over there.” They walked side by side, the silence growing intolerable until she couldn’t take it any longer. “Have you ever made a wish?”

Duke laughed.

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