Page 60 of A Rogue Cowboy's Kiss

He wanted to haul ass after her, drop to his knees, and ask her to marry him properly. To show he was the man she deserved.

But he didn’t move.

Because life had taught him that she was dead right.

TWENTY-SIX

Bella rode hard,not stopping until she reached her destination, a hidden oasis her family had named Hart’s Pond. She patted her horse’s neck as she slowed to a stop beside the beautiful spot. “Thanks, Honey.” She hopped off, removed Honey’s saddle, cooled the mare down, and then turned her loose in the pen they’d built out there for that exact purpose.

She checked Honey’s water, gave her some hay, and then walked to the edge of the pond.

She sat down on the flat rock she’d used so many times for a picnic for herself and hugged her knees to her chest.

The late morning sun was bright, but Honey’s pen was in the shade, keeping her cool.

The sun reflected off the crystal-clear water, and she could see all the way to the bottom of the pond.

Bella rested her chin on her knees, rocking gently, waiting for the energy of Hart’s Pond to work its magic. After a few moments, she felt herself begin to relax, and she was able to finally take a deep breath.

“Men,” she muttered.

“What about them?”

She jumped and turned to see Tatum Crosby, Brody’s wife, and her sister Meg emerging from the opening in the thick foliage that surrounded the pool. She sighed when she saw them, not in the mood for company. “Uh, hi. I was just on my way home.” She headed over toward Honey to make her lie the truth.

“I stopped by to see you,” Meg said. “Falcon was sitting in your kitchen looking very stabbed and contemplative. He said you took off and said not to follow, so I figured you came here.”

Bella frowned. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I drove,” Phoebe Hart, the wife of her brother Jacob, walked in, accompanied by Sofia, who was married to Keegan. “We were heading into town for brunch, and we stopped to grab you and Meg. She said you were on a walkabout, so we figured you needed some girl time.”

Bella sighed. “I’m just leaving?—”

“Nope, you’re not.” Meg put her arm around her. “We have champagne and snacks. It’s party time.”

“I’m not in the mood?—”

“Really?” Tatum put her hands on her hips. “Brody told me that you wanted to move to Boston because of Maddie’s friends. Because you wanted more than your brothers.”

Bella felt her gut drop. “I didn’t mean it like that. I love you guys?—”

“I know.” Tatum adjusted her cowboy hat. “Here’s the thing. I’m away a lot at my residency in Vegas and other concerts. I was excited to connect with you and Meg again, but I’m not around a lot.”

Bella shrugged. Tatum had been an under-the-bridge kid at one point, and then she’d taken off without a good-bye. None of the Harts had heard from her since then, until one day Tatum had sent Brody a ticket and asked him to come to her concert.

Bella had loved Tatum as a big sister, and Tatum had left her. The pain was still there, commingled with all her other trustissues. But that was fine. Tatum made Brody happy and that was all that mattered. Besides, Tatum was a freaking international superstar. She was amazing. “You have an incredible career. I think that’s awesome,” she said honestly.

“Tablecloth is set,” Phoebe called out. “Come on, ladies. Let’s drink and eat.”

Bella glanced over at the rock, and then blinked in surprise when she saw the beautiful display that Phoebe and Sofia had already set up. There was a thick blanket, a flower centerpiece, and even nice plates and silverware. The food was arranged, and it looked more like a feast than a snack. “What is this?”

Meg smiled. “Honestly, we came by your house to kidnap you to bring you here. But you beat us to it. Of course, we were all going to get horses and ride out here, but since you had a head start, we didn’t want to risk that you’d have left by the time we got here, so we drove.”

Bella looked around at the women. “Why would you kidnap me?”

Tatum and Meg each took an arm, guiding her toward the picnic. “Eat and drink, my pretty,” Meg teased. “So many questions from such a sweet little thing.”

Bella pulled her arms free. “Look, I’m not going to be good company. I don’t even want to be at the ranch?—”

---