Page 7 of A Rogue Cowboy's Kiss

Falcon glanced at the horizon again, at the horses, at the land where the only family he had lived.

“Plus, she’s not the same person you’ve been dreaming of for ten years, the sixteen-year-old with a crush on you.”

Falcon nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m not the same either.”

“No, you’re not.” Brody regarded him. “I love you, Falcon, and I love my sister. I want both of you to find happiness, but I’ll be honest, I don’t know that the two of you fit each other. You’ve lived in a world of darkness, revenge, and isolation for a long time. Bella isn’t in that place. She’s not that person. You can’t drag her into your darkness. You have to rise up out of it to meet her.”

Falcon ground his jaw. “I know who she is.”

“She’s more than what you’ve let yourself see. She’s light, love, and laughter.”

Light. Love. Laughter. God, that sounded good to Falcon. “I have an app on my phone that will fake a laugh for me, so I don’t have to.”

Brody raised his brows, and then grinned. “Shit. You had me for a second. I actually believed you.”

Falcon laughed then, a real laugh that felt good. “I’m ready for all that lightness, Brody. I need it.”

Brody inclined his head. “Don’t expect Bella to save you. It’s not fair to her. Save yourself and then meet her on equal footing.”

Falcon nodded. “Yeah, I know.” He hadn’t thought about it before Brody had brought it up, but he knew Brody was right. He couldn’t ask Bella to save him. She deserved more than that.

“Don’t settle for less than what Tatum and I have,” Brody said. “You’ll have to put the fantasy out of your head and see Bella and yourself for who you are today. And admit it if it’s not right.”

Falcon laughed softly. “Twenty years later, and you’re still preaching.”

“Of course I am. I’m a happily married man deliriously in love with his wife. It gives me street cred.” But Brody was grinning. “One more word of advice?”

“Sure.”

“Take a couple days here before you rush after Bella. Get some food. Get some sleep. Wash your clothes. Take a shower. Ground yourself. You smell like a sewer and look even worse. She’ll probably shoot you before she has a chance to recognize you.”

Falcon looked down at himself. “I think it shows true love to go like this.”

Brody raised his brows. “Bella doesn’t want love, remember? The last thing that’ll work for you is to show up there desperate, hungry, and dirty with a dozen roses.” He put his hand on Falcon’s shoulder. “Take a breath, bro. Just take a breath.”

Falcon inhaled deeply, but it didn’t calm his restlessness. “I need to go. Can I take one of the jets?”

Brody sighed. “You’re going to fuck it up before you even get a chance.”

Dammit. He’d waited so long. He didn’t want to blow it.

“At least take an hour for food, a shower, and some clean clothes. You can’t get on my plane smelling like that.”

“An hour?”

“Yeah.”

An hour. He could wait an hour. He’d waited ten years for Bella. What was one more hour?

An eternity, but also, nothing. Not to him. Not anymore. “All right. Feed me, bro. I’m starving.”

FOUR

A meal,a shower, and a plane ride later, Falcon pulled his rental into the parking lot of the Cape Cod estate where Brody had said Bella would be. It was almost midnight, and the parking lot appeared to be emptying out. The last remaining guests were wandering out to their luxury cars, dressed in high fashion. Women had their hair perfectly done, and they were decorated with jewels. They were laughing, smiling, giggling, chatting.

He parked his truck and leaned back in his seat, watching the exodus of people who definitely showered more than once a week, ate regular meals, and were able to socialize on a normal level. “Hell.”

This place was pure class. Upscale. Everything he wasn’t, and never wanted to be.

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