Page 35 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

“You’ve never met him,” I scoffed.

“Oh, I know, but I’ve read a lot, and those pictures of you two…” She pretended to fan herself.

“Agreed,” Cori chimed in. “That look he was giving you in that last picture, that’s the look Fort gave me that got me pregnant. You be careful.”

The hotel picture. That was what she was talking about. That same picture had told me there were still feelings.

I looked out across the lovely landscape. “Yeah, I’m not really worried about the getting-pregnant part.”

Cori stopped in her tracks. “Oh, Sabrina, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. All I really meant was that’s usually when he sexes me up. It’s a hot look.”

Both Cori, Cricket, and Meredith knew I had severe endometriosis, which meant my chances of conceiving were slim to none because of the abnormal tissue growing outside my uterus. I’d spent a good chunk of my savings on various treatments and trying in vitro with a sperm donor. Nothing had happened except the dwindling bank account. Hence the need for more money. I couldn’t get on the adoption list until I had fifty K in the bank.

“It’s okay. You didn’t say anything wrong, I’m just supersensitive.” I gave her arm a squeeze.

“Rightly so,” Cricket said. “But Cori’s right. Be careful here. This guy hurt you once. Chances are it could happen again. And you deserve some happiness. You’ve had enough heartbreak.”

Cricket caught my eye, and I knew she was talking about herself just as much as she was talking about me. She’d fallen in love with her deceased sister’s husband, a man she emphatically stated was off-limits. Reason number one for trying Cal’s app—she was ready to find a love that was her own.

“Though he is superhot,” Cori said. “Too bad you can’t keep it casual, because otherwise, I say you just hit that, as the guys say, and have some fun.”

We both looked at her, shocked.

“Sorry, hormones,” she said sheepishly.

“You’re telling me to go wild, and Cricket is telling me to be careful. Angel and devil. But here’s the deal. Yeah, we have chemistry. But we’re different people with different lives, and I don’t think either of us fits into the other’s. This here”—I swept my hand to indicate all that was the ranch—“is pretend. It’s a job. And it will end.”

And yeah, Cal was hot. And I had thought about hitting that, as Cori had put it. And then I thought I should poke my eyes out so I wouldn’t have to see him anymore, and maybe those naughty thoughts would stop. But each time I had a steamy thought, I reminded myself of one simple fact: this would all be coming to an end.

ChapterFourteen

SABRINA

Standing outside with the horse Rod had saddled for me, I was laughing with Cori as she used me as a test subject to warm up her “shutter finger.” I was making goofy faces and poses. Being outside with the sun and a cool breeze, with nothing to do but be right here, was like having a massive weight lifted off me. Or at least the weight had shifted to the side and was temporarily forgotten. I wasn’t at an event, networking. I wasn’t staring at my depleted savings account, wondering how I was going to fill it in a timely manner. I wasn’t alone. Sometimes I got caught up in all I needed to do, forgetting the right now. Which reaffirmed my decision to adopt but also reminded me that I sorely neglected downtime and self-care.

But also, this moment was taking me closer to my goals. Which was a win. This didn’t feel like work.

Cal strode across the yard toward the corral. He was in dark jeans and an autumn-colored flannel shirt with a T-shirt underneath and was carrying a brown Stetson. And was that a hint of a smile on his face? Well, hot dang, it sure looked like one.

If I’d forgotten to prioritize downtime, Cal had downright cut it from his life. The previous night at dinner, the stories from Brynna, Mrs. Claudia, and Cal’s mother about the ranch and the town had worked him over in the best possible way. He’d left Peru and that attack behind and joined us in Wyoming. His shoulders had visibly relaxed, and the frown between his eyes had softened.

I beamed my brightest smile at him. “Morning, sunshine.”

He walked to the fence and leaned against it, one booted leg up on the low rail. He flicked his fingers at me. “Come here.”

I shook my head. “What for?”

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. He must have seen the message I’d left on his mirror and jumped back on his pole. I wasn’t going to apologize. I was here to make his life miserable, all while helping him out. That was the only way to balance this weird-ass situation I was in.

“Reenie.”

I had to give him credit. The man could suppress a grin really well. I crossed my arms and arched one brow.

“I didn’t figure you for a chicken,” he said, crooking a finger at me as he stuck his Stetson on his head.

Dear Lord, he looked like a sexy bandit out to steal all the ladies’ jewels and hearts. I strolled toward him and got as close as I could with the fence between us, without bumping noses.

I mimicked his position and put my foot on the lower rung. “Something the matter?”

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