Page 4 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

Isabelle grinned and wagged her brows at Charlie, who made a face at her.

Ash glanced over to Isabelle, then back to Charlie.

“He’s inside,” she muttered.

He nodded and moved past her. Just like that. Just like he hadn’t been the one to change her life. Just like he’d never stolen and gifted her with the best kiss she’d ever experienced.

Isabelle laughed.

“Isabelle!” Mateo called.

She groaned again. “I’mcoming!”

Charlie sighed just as the front door shut behind her. She needed to head inside to start cooking dinner. With her luck, the guys would be in the kitchen ruining their appetites with some late-afternoon snacks. Maybe she should just go to her room and pretend she wasn’t there. Those who were here could fend for themselves.

She placed her head into her hands and a strangled sound escaped her lips. Who was she kidding? Cooking was her release.With all this pent-up energy rippling through her body, she knew she wasn’t going to handle just stewing in her room.

Just as she’d suspected, Daniel, Liam, and Ash were all lounging in the kitchen when she entered. She moved to the refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients to make some spaghetti. It would be easy enough, and she wouldn’t have to focus too much. The guys were in the middle of a conversation when she moved to the pantry to pull out a glass jar of tomato sauce.

“I’m telling you, Ash. This girl is amazing. She’s a paramedic. You’d like her.”

Ash laughed. “Thanks, but like I said, I’m not interested.”

“Why not? You’re almost thirty. You can’t just sit around and wait for a girl to find you. Maybe I’ll just invite her over so she’s here when you come to visit next,” Liam joked. His phone rang and he picked it up. “One sec.”

Just as Liam reached the doorway, Ash called out to him, “Don’t bother. I’ve already got a girl.”

Glass shattered. Sauce splattered at Charlie’s feet. She blinked, and everything felt like it was going in slow motion. Daniel and Ash jumped up from where they sat at the table.

Charlie dropped down to start picking up the shards.

“I’ll go find the mop,” Daniel offered. “I think I saw it upstairs.”

Ash nearly bumped his head against hers when he crouched down beside her to pick up the broken glass. He was close—tooclose. He smelled the same—like mint with lemons. Something else lingered on him. Smoke? Like he’d been tending to a campfire.

Then it hit her why she was down on her knees in the first place.

Ash was dating someone. She hated how her stomach had the jitters. Of course he was dating someone. Why wouldn’t he be?She’d seen how hot he was. She knew what it was like to kiss him.

Her face flushed when she realized he was talking to her. “Are you okay? Charlie? What happened?”

She rose and dumped her palm full of the larger pieces into the garbage can, ignoring his question. Then a gasp ripped from her chest as a shard snagged on her skin.

He was by her side in a second. His hand wrapped around her wrist. “You’re cut.”

Charlie attempted to tug her hand free from him, but his hold on her was too strong. He practically tugged her toward the sink. In a swift movement, he turned on the water. Then he ran her hand under the faucet. She watched him, studied him. This was the closest she’d been to him in five months, then nearly six years before that.

He looked the same—just a little older and wiser. Smile lines framed his eyes. He was clean-shaven, unlike her brothers who preferred to have at least a little scruff on their faces. His hair was a little long and it curled at the nape of his neck.

Ash glanced closer at her, and she gasped before turning her focus on her hand. He said, “Doesn’t look like you’re going to need stitches. But you’ll want to keep it clean.” His touch lingered on her, and she glanced up to meet his steady gaze.

“I’ve had worse.” The words slipped from her lips unheeded. She hated how her tone made them sound more accusatory than anything else. With a jerk of her arm, she pulled her hand free. “I’m getting a bandage.” With that, she left the room. Her heart thundered with each step she took. Her blood roared in her ears, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up collapsed on the floor.

By the time she returned, Ash and Daniel had the mess cleaned up. Liam was sprawled out on a chair at the kitchen table, and they were all chatting again.

“I was thinking it’d be nice to do something special for her,” Ash said, not even looking in Charlie’s direction.

“Like what? Take her dancing?” Daniel asked.

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