Page 61 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

Daniel caught her eye from where he stood with their brothers. He didn’t move toward her, though he had that look on his face—the one that said he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know how to say it.

None of her brothers had apologized for how they’d inserted themselves into her life. Even now, she couldn’t deny how much she hated that they’d done that. Her relationship with Ash had been tumultuous right from the beginning.

Maybe it was doomed from the get-go.

“Uh-oh. I know that look.”

Charlie dragged her gaze from Daniel and looked at Emma. She’d turned from the conversation she’d been having with their other sisters-in-law. A frown marred her pretty face. Though she was still very much the country music star that she’d been when she’d arrived in Copper Creek, she was looking more and more like a Copper Creek native with each passing day.

Her skin had a natural glow from being out in the sun, riding or helping Caleb with various jobs he had over at Mateo’s placeor working on her own property. She completely fit in with the family now, clad in worn jeans, a hat, and dusty boots.

She placed her chin in her hands and rested her elbow on the picnic table that Wade had brought out this past summer. The expectant look on her face made it clear she wasn’t going to say another word until Charlie admitted that she was struggling.

Tempted to brush her off, Charlie glanced once more to her brothers. She was nearly successful until Daniel snagged her gaze again. Irritation flooded her being. “They’re jerks. And you married one of them.”

Emma snorted. “Who? Your brothers?”

Charlie gave Emma a dark and yet pointed look.

“What can you expect? Brothers are always going to be really protective.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I think it was less about being protective and more about being controlling. They didn’t like that I was dating theirfriend.”

She’d garnered Bailey’s attention at some point, the most recent woman to fall in love with one of the many Keagan men. She hid a smile behind her hand and merely glanced at Emma before taking a sip of her drink. Charlie wanted to demand to know what that look was for, but she resisted. The woman was likely going to say something similar to what Emma had said.

“So, your mood is about Ash, right?”

Charlie heaved a sigh before folding her arms in front of her and resting her head atop them. “Yeah, it’s about Ash.”

“You miss him.”

It was obvious. There was no need for her to confirm anything of the sort to Emma.

“Have you called him since his visit?”

Charlie’s grimace was hidden by her arms. No, she hadn’t called him, though she’d lost track of how many times she’d nearly done just that. It had been torture to hold herself backfrom calling or texting him. She was second-guessing everything these days.

“Caleb says that you broke it off because of what happened to him when he was out fighting fires.”

Charlie tensed. Of course her brothers would tell their wives what was going on. Not that her brothers necessarily cared about the why of it all. But her sisters-in-law would. Now that Charlie’s life was on full display, she could expect that everyone would eventually know it all.

She peeked over at her brothers. Daniel wasn’t looking in her direction anymore. She hadn’t thought he would tell any of them her reasonings. No, it would have been Mason. Daniel was too quiet, too private. Out of all of them, he was the one most likely to keep these things to himself.

“Let me guess,” Charlie said. “You think I’m in the wrong.” Sitting up, she glanced over at Emma, not surprised to see that Bailey was giving them her full attention as well. They’d gotten close when Bailey helped Emma purchase her house. Bailey was nice enough, but she wasn’t as close to Charlie, and it was mildly uncomfortable to have her take an interest in this conversation.

Emma glanced at Bailey as if the two of them were of one mind. Then she shrugged. “I didn’t think that his job was a big deal.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about your husband not coming home after being called out to work.”

Emma offered Charlie a sympathetic smile. “You’re right. I don’t have to worry about that in the same way you would. None of us do. But that’s not why I think his job shouldn’t be the deciding factor.”

Charlie cocked her head, her brows knitting together. “So, you don’t think it’s dangerous?”

Emma chuckled. “Oh, I know it’s dangerous. I just have a different view of things, I guess.” She looked over to Bailey as if nudging her to comment.

Bailey shifted in her seat and offered Charlie a smile similar to Emma’s. “I was married to a man who wasn’t completely honest with me. He did things to put my family in a different sort of danger. It might not have been a physical one, but he put us in situations where we could lose a lot. I still loved him despite it all. And I will never regret that relationship because he gave me my daughter.” Bailey’s eyes shifted to where Anya was playing with the other children. “For all the stress and pain there was, I would never want to lose the chance of having her in my life.”

Charlie had the hardest time trying to understand the connection her sister-in-law was trying to make. How did dating Ash compare to the husband who had ruined his own family with his debts and drinking?

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