Page 26 of A Rogue Cowboy's Kiss

She felt too emotional right now with Falcon.

Too emotional being away from home.

Too…everything, and she had no business being behind closed doors with Falcon after he’d told her that he loved her.

Loved her.

Loved her.

So, she called Piper. “Hey, what are you guys up to today?”

“Hey, girl! I was just going to call you. One of our caterers told us she’s selling her business, ironically. You want to buy it? You can buy all her contracts and work for us. What do you say?”

What?Bella’s hand tightened on the phone. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. I know you were thinking about moving here, and this will give you your foothold. She has a great reputation, and you’re a great chef, so it would be an easy transition. I spoke to Kitty about it, and she agreed. We both liked working with you last night, and we’d love to keep going.”

Bella sat down at the kitchen table, stunned by the sudden opportunity. “I don’t know, I mean, I wasn’t sure if?—”

“She already has a purchase offer that she is supposed to sign in the morning, but she’s holding off for you because I told her you could beat the price, which of course you can. She’s catering an event on the Cape tonight, and she said you could stop by. I’ll text you the address. Go check it out! This would be such an easy transition for you!”

“Yes!” Kitty took over the conversation. “It’s the perfect opportunity. We all love you, and it would be a fantastic way to add to our girl gang. Go meet Diana, fall in love with her business, give her the retirement of her dreams, and start your life. I’ll go in on the purchase with you if you want a partner. I love to invest in women, and you are fantastic. Call after you meet with her, and we can discuss. Good? Good. Smooches.”

Kitty then hung up, leaving Bella staring at her phone.

What. Just. Happened.

At that moment, she heard footsteps on the back steps, and she looked up as Falcon walked in. His shoulders were wide, and he suddenly seemed too big for the space. He was wearing his cowboy hat, which he hadn’t been wearing before, making him look rough, rugged, and delicious.

“You can’t leave the door unlocked, Bella,” he said as he shut it behind him.

“If someone wants to kill me, a locked door isn’t going to stop them.”

“No, but if you hear them breaking in, it gives you time to grab your gun and shoot them all first.”

Valid point. She held up her phone. “Piper just called. One of their caterers is retiring and they all want me to buy the business, take over all their contracts, and become a part of their girl gang.”

His brows went up, but he hid his emotions. “Great for you.”

“I don’t know if I want that. I literally just got here. Is it trading one safety net for another?”

He pulled out a chair and sat down in front of her, straddling the chair so he could lean on the back of it. “There will be other opportunities.”

“Not with contracts already set with Piper and Kitty. I love these women. They’re the ones who are inspiring me.”

“You don’t need to buy their friendship. They will love you just for being you.”

Oh, boy. He looked so freaking intense and adorable and interested. And delicious. What would it be like to kiss him? To kiss this man she’d dreamed of for so long? “I forgot how strong my crush on you was, until you told me that you loved me. Now I can’t get it out of my head.”

His eyes darkened, and he said nothing.

Her words just sat in the air between them, getting heavier and heavier.

Crap. She sat up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I’m just rattled having you here, rattled by the fact someone broke into my house, and rattled by this offer. A part of me wants to take it, and a part of me is freaking out. I feel like finding your identity should take more than a day, right?”

He let out his breath, a long, slow exhale that she could feel in her soul. He reached over and put his hand on her arm. This time, his palm felt hot, burning her skin. But at the same time, she felt some of her panic ease.

“Better?”

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