Page 6 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

A glance at the screen told him Sabrina was calling.

“Rina,” he said, using the old nickname he’d given her in college. “I was just thinking about you. How’s tricks?”

“You know I hate when you say that.”

Her irritation was a pretense. Experience and a lengthy, true friendship taught him that. “Your call brings a smile to my face.” They never spent time bickering about the insignificant.

“That’s how you should start a conversation, Jace. That makes a woman all warm and soft.”

Jace laughed and wished, not the for first time, he could have made something spark betweenhimself and Sabrina. But nothing comes from nothing, and even sparks require an accelerant of some making.

“How’s Pops?” She never failed to inquire.

“Holding his own. Hates not being out here doing the day-to-day stuff, but he knows that getting through this therapy will help maintain a quality to his life he wants.”

“I’m sorry the trial drug didn’t work. Did Willow go back to school?”

Jace wiped one eye with the corner of his palm. They all were sorry. Real sorry and heartbroken.

Willow, was finishing up her master’s degree at the University of Washington. “Yeah, she keeps talking about transferring back here, but they don’t have her program, and Mom won’t hear of it. She only has six months left.”

Which felt like nothing when you didn’t have a ticking clock to face every day. If he should get 180 more days with his father, he’d drop to his knees and give thanks. He no longer had faith in what the doctors said. The disease seemed to have a mind of its own, accelerating faster than they’d expected.

“I hope I get some time in with your Mom and Pops while I’m there.”

“You’re coming? To what do I owe this honor?” Last time she came to the ranch was to hide out and nurse her broken heart. Jace couldn’t think of that clown, Lawton, without wanting to punch him in the face. Dammit if the man hadn't caught them off guard. Spending four years being Lawton's roommate hadn't prepared Jace for witnessing Lawton's lilied-liver, chicken-butt cowardice first hand. That was Lawton Jones. Coward of the first order. Standing in his tux, throwing his belongings into his car, and begging Jace to tell Sabrina he was sorry. He just couldn't go through with it.

“This time it’s for business. I found you a wife.” There was nomisunderstanding her matter-of-fact tone. The call had gone from friendship to business owner and client.

Jace’s thoughts became a jumbled mess. A wife? Would she bail after the first week? How would Pops react?

“Did you hear me?” Sabrina’s probe was gentle.

He grunted.

“But here’s the caveat. I know when you called me it was more out of desperation to make Pops happy, but it’s time you made yourself happy, too, Jace. You haven’t been the same since What’s-Her-Dummy left you.”

“She has a name.” Truth was he didn’t like to say it either.

“Yes, and drives a minivan with those family stickers on the back. She has two kids and a dog. She’s very happy reigning over the Junior League and Daughters of the American Revolution.”

“So you’ve seen her?” It wasn’t that he ached to know more about his old girlfriend. He no more missed her than he would that grizzly should it leave. But he missed the idea of her. Of the dreams he had when they were together.

“Unfortunately, I have. Do you think you’re open to a little happiness?”

He’d have to be a nut to say no. “Sure.”

“But it won’t be instant. I can’t just drop Meredith off, see you two get hitched, wave my magic love wand, and the two of you will live happily ever after. You’re going to have to work for it.”

He shrugged. “Sure,” he repeated. He wasn’t by nature a mean or poorly tempered man, and adding another female to the fold should be easy enough. If she knew what she was getting into, then what could go wrong?

That was a dumb question. Tons could go wrong.

“Sure,” Sabrina mimicked. “You’re going to have to do all those things you’re afraid of. Things like share a bit of yourself, go on dates, ask her questions about herself, all those things youprofess to have no time for. All the things you’ve avoided doing since Dumb-Dumb left.”

“I’m not a Neanderthal.” His mother would box his ears if he so much as thought of being rude. Yet, go on dates? What would they talk about? His life was nothing but cows and bulls.

Shit, nothing like realizing you were a boring-ass person. He didn’t even have a hobby.

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