Page 7 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

“You know, Rosie is crazy about you,” I whispered.

“Yeah? I like her too,” he said with a smile that seemed to fade when he looked down at me.

He was easily a foot taller than I was, even in heels. But that didn’t stop me from sliding my hands up his chest and wrapping them around the back of his neck.

“What are you doing, Avery?” he murmured, his voice impossibly deep.

“Just wanted to test a theory,” I whispered, tugging on him just to see what he would do.

Dante bent his head, his warm lips brushed against mine, and I swear, I felt him everywhere. All through me. Especially when we kissed in the dark at the back of the barn.

Music and chatter from the wedding party faded into the background, and all I wanted was to keep on kissing him. But Dante stopped.

Shaking his head, he stepped back, those warm velvet eyes looked hunted as footsteps approached.

It was Penny and Max. The owner of the ranch slapped his hand on Dante’s back and the two of them walked off, leaving me and Penny with Rosie.

A few minutes later, I asked Penny to watch my little girl while I sought Dante out. I had to know if he was feeling the same way I was.

Something about that kiss had started a fire in my blood, and I wanted, no, I needed him to help me figure it out. Only when I did find him, he was talking to Max.

“I can’t. She’s a mom with too many responsibilities!”

Dante’s rough words had stopped me cold, and I left that night without talking to him. In fact, I’d been avoiding him since. Throughout the holidays, I’d managed to keep my distance.

But Rosie’s birthday was next week, and she’d asked if Danny—that was her nickname for Dante—could come to her party.

What kind of mom would I be if I said no? Besides, we were having it at the ranch. That would be kind of rude of me to leave him out.

I had the invitation with his name on it in my purse, along with the handful of others I’d addressed and placed in stamped envelopes.

Dante might not be the man for me, but he was kind to my daughter. She loved the big cowboy, and that was enough for me to invite him.

Like I already said, I would do anything for my Rosie.

Ignoring the big, burly man wasn’t going to be easy. But I’d manage.

All I had to do was remember he didn’t want me.

Oh no. Not a mama with a ready-made family.

Mr. Sexy Cowpoke wanted a virgin, some mythical, untouched maiden to fit perfectly in his little fantasy world where women stayed barefoot and pregnant in his kitchen.

Guys like him all wanted a real damsel in distress type. The kind where he could play knight in shining fur or whatever for however long it took until he got bored and moved on to greener pastures, and well, I simply wasn’t that.

Rosie was irrefutable evidence of that I was about as far from virginal as you could get.

I couldn’t say I was surprised by Dante’s rejection of me. But I was disappointed.

Terribly disappointed.

I needed to get over it and him. Because honestly? I didn’t have time to waste on someone who didn’t want me or couldn’t accept me as I was.

Not even big, sexy someones who treated my little girl like a princess and was as polite and gentle as he was hulking and handsome.

Okay, I was being ridiculous.

Mourning him was idiotic.

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