Page 39 of The Bull Rider & the Wedding Planner

Her eyes widened slightly. “Maybe you changed your shirt after the rodeo.”

“No.” He was growing more certain by the minute. “This is Walker.”

“What?” She eased in closer to his phone and stared at it. “You’re not identical, but you do look similar. Do you think the magazine could have messed up your names?” Her voice sounded hopeful.

“Yes.” Relief rushed through him as his certainty grew. “Do you mind if I call Walker to verify?”

“Please.” She moistened her lips.

Easton’s hopes spiked as he pushed the side button of his phone and said, “Call the Sigma Twin.”

“The Sigma?” she mouthed.

“Funny story. I’ll tell you later.” Hopefully he’d tell her later. Hopefully they could put at least this piece of pain to rest. Cassie had been through so much, was still going through it with that creep Baxter after her. Easton wanted to heal her, notever cause her pain.

He pushed the speaker button as it rang, hoping Cassie hearing the conversation would confirm it.

“Hey, bro. How are you? How’s Cassie and Presley?”

“We’re all right. I need you to help me with something.”

“Anything.”

Easton knew that was true. His brother would do anything for him. “I need you to think back to a rodeo in …” He looked at the photo and some lines of the article below it. “Cheyenne, August of 2018.”

“Um … okay. That was a few years ago.”

“Six. Do you remember after you won the rodeo, a redhead kissing you and it was photographed for a magazine?”

“Oh yeah. I do, actually. Her name was Shirlene and she sent me a text with the photo. We were both laughing because they thought it was you. I never showed you that?”

Easton was studying Cassie. “No.”

Her teal-blue eyes went wide and then they softened. She grabbed the phone out of his hand. “Thank you, Walker. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Hello, Cassie.” There was laughter in Walker’s voice. “You two have a good night.”

“We will,” Cassie said with conviction.

Easton’s entire body lit up. After six excruciating years, was his Cassie finally going to commit to be his again?

“Love. You know Shirlene is past history,” they heard Walker say before the phone disconnected.

Cassie grimaced as she set the phone on the coffee table. “Uh-oh. Did we just get him in trouble?”

“Doubtful.” Easton eased closer. “Marci is so gone over him, he’ll have her kissing him within ten seconds.”If only he could have Cassie kissing him, but more importantly forgiving him and being willing to commit to him again.

She stared up at him. Her teal-blue eyes were bright. A tear spilled over her thick lashes and dribbled down her cheek.

“Cass?” Easton gathered her into his arms. Should she be crying right now? He had no sisters. Though he may have become an expert on flirting and first dates, he’d never had a relationship with a woman besides Cassie. He wasn’t an expert on female emotions, but shouldn’t Cassie be happy and relieved? He’d felt they both were before the water works started. He’d never seen her so emotional, even the night she drove away ten years ago.

“Sorry,” she mumbled into his neck. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. “I’m just trying to process.” She shuddered and cuddled closer. After a few beats, she looked up at him, beautiful, vulnerable, upset. “All those lost years. All that heartache. Losing you. Marrying Baxter… And all that horrific downward spiral began because a magazine article got your name wrong. Oh, Easton.” She buried her head in his neck and cried.

Easton held her, rubbing her back and praying in gratitude that they’d figured out the mess, asking for help to heal her.

A couple minutes passed. She looked up at him.

“‘I loved you yesterday, I will love you forever,’” Easton sang the Tommy Rice song. “‘You are my life, my love, forever.’”

---