Page 61 of A Rogue Cowboy's Kiss

“That’s why we’re here.” Meg sat down and so did the others, leaving Bella the only one standing.

She was so confused. “I don’t understand what this is.”

Meg looked at her, her cowboy hat casting shadows across her face. “When we were talking that night on the Cape before I left, and you made it so clear how you wanted to be away from the ranch, and wanted to be friends with those amazing women, it got me thinking.”

Embarrassment flooded Bella’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean that you guys aren’t amazing?—”

Meg waved her off. “I know that, and that’s what got me thinking. Our ranch used to be the boys and us, but now we have more women here. We’re all pretty amazing, but the ranch is still kind of dominated by the boys. When I thought about it, I felt like we, as women, hadn’t worked to build what we had. We weren’t investing inus.”

Bella blinked, surprised.

Phoebe raised her hand. “I’ll admit that I would love to be more connected to you guys. I know I’m super busy helping Jacob become more comfortable with life, and I’m busy with my daughter and my coaching business, so I haven’t been all that social as much either, but I would love for us to have some intentional girl time.”

“Me, too,” Sofia said. “I had some amazing friends in Seattle, and I miss them a lot. It’s hard to build new friendships when you get older, and I’ve just focused my energy on Keegan, my stores, and my daughter, too. But I miss that level of comfort between women. I’d love for us to spend more time together.”

“Me, too,” Meg said.

Bella stood there, staring at these women. “Tatum, Sofia, and Phoebe,” she began, her voice thick with emotion. “You all have these amazing accomplishments professionally. I felt like you would think I was just some rich girl with no purpose. And two of you are moms. What do I talk to you about? I don’t know anything about being a mom or having a career. I didn’t even really have a mom for long, and my only work is making food for a few dude ranch people and family.”

Meg hopped up and put her arm around Bella’s shoulders. “I love you, Bells.”

Bella sighed. “I love you, too, Meg. I do. I just?—”

“I know. You and I have always been alone in a sea of boys who like to protect us. You run the dude ranch kitchen by default, not because it was this great dream of yours. I want to dosomething more as well.” She squeezed Bella’s shoulder. “But we can grow together.”

“I—” Bella spread her hands, unsure what to say.

It was Tatum who stood up. “Look, ladies, here we are. Five fantastic women who all live on the same ranch, part of the same family in different ways, and we have all made ourselves too busy and too insecure to invest inus.” She turned to Bella. “I know we’ve never fully recovered from the damage I did to our trust when I left so long ago, but I’m tired of dancing around it and pretending that everything is as it was. I love you.” She gestured to all of them. “I love each of you, and dammit, I claim you all asmine.”

Sofia jumped to her feet. “I want to be claimed by you guys. I claim you back.”

“Me too,” Phoebe said. “Girl power matters, and we’re forever girls, no matter how old we get.”

Meg smiled at Bella. “What do you say, Bells? Do we expand our sisterhood with all of our heart?”

Bella took a breath, emotions clogging her throat. “I don’t know how to let people in,” she said. “I was hoping that Maddie and that gang would just suck me in so I wouldn’t have to figure it out.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” Phoebe said. “I don’t know how anymore either.”

“Me either,” Meg said.

“I keep everyone at a distance,” Tatum said. “The price of fame.”

Sofia beamed at them. “I’m going to hold all of you to this,” she said. “I’m great at having girlfriends, and I miss the hell out of it.”

Bella started laughing through her sudden tears. “This is all just a ploy to keep me here, isn’t it, Meg?”

Her sister kissed her cheek. “I’d never try to trap you, Bells, but I realized that we were missing out on something beautiful that was right here, waiting for us. You deserve it, even if you move away.”

“We’re all family,” Tatum said. “All of us. Sisters.” She slung her arm over Phoebe’s shoulders. “Come on girls. Group hug. This is how it starts.”

She flung her other arm around Sofia, and then Phoebe and Sofia held out their arms to Meg and Bella. Meg looked at her. “Bells?”

Bella nodded and walked over to the group. She barely got within reach when they dragged her in. They all lost their balance and almost fell down the rock, shrieking with laughter as they tried not to land in the water.

Bella leaned back on her hands, laughing as everyone straightened themselves out. “All right, Tatum, if we’re friends now, how on earth did you become such an absolute badass with your career? How many Grammys now?”

“Eight.” Tatum beamed at them. “Plus, I got two more nominations for this year.”

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