Page 37 of Cowboys Can't Kiss

Riley turns to me after he sets the nearly empty food containers on the coffee table.

“I feel like this is a trick question.”

He shakes his head with a smile. “No trick. I just want to know your thoughts.”

“Okay.” He asked for the truth, so I’ll give it. “I think sharing food with someone, off the same plate as they did, is an intimateactivity. More so because they have no cutlery, but they’re dogs, so it had to go that way. But I think it’s very romantic, yes. It gave that first push for them to mean more to each other. To own their feelings.”

Riley wrinkles his nose. “Really? Even the slurping spaghetti and knowing they share drool? That’s still romantic to you?”

“With all politeness, Rye, people do a lot more than share drool when they get together.” Riley’s gaze drops and I reach over to lift his chin with my finger. “I love it when they touch noses. It’s the most adorable thing ever. Seven-year-old me loved it and forty-year-old me still loves it.”

Riley says nothing for a few moments, and the movie plays on in the background, but it no longer holds my attention.

“When do you leave for the big rodeo tour?” Riley breaks the moment and moves to take our dishes back to the kitchen. His movements are shaky, so I don’t help immediately. I may be awkward with my words sometimes, but I know when someone is uncomfortable. Right now, Riley is throwing me all kinds of mixed signals and I should probably take the opening to leave before I say something wrong.

“Two days. Hunter and I will take his trailer and the horses. It’s a two-day drive to the first event. We have two days to rest, then a three-day rodeo before a full day’s drive to the next rodeo. We dip into the United States for a few rodeos there before heading back. The whole thing is almost three weeks of living out of his trailer on campgrounds.”

Riley leans on the kitchen island and grips the edge of the countertop with his hands.

“That’s a long time to be gone.”

Nodding, I shove my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for him.

“It is. It’s the longest one of the season, but it’s worth it for us. We earn a lot of money at those events when we do well.”

“Will you have cell service while you’re away?”

Riley bites at his lip and keeps his gaze down. I wish he wouldn’t.

“I will. I make sure I have US roaming off when we go, and I get a package for travel. I learned that lesson the hard way.”

When he says nothing for a moment, an awkward tension grows between us, and I don’t know what to say. Well, I do. I want to tell him I’ll call every night if he’s available and I want to see what other animal face masks he has.

I want to tell him I’ll miss him, and that tonight was one of the best nights I’ve had in a while.

“Did you know bats have thumbs?”

Ah, there it is. Heaven forbid I say what I’m actually thinking.

Riley’s lips twitch, and at least he turns his beautiful eyes on me.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, they have this weird claw thing on it for climbing. It’s kind of cool.”

Riley raises his thumb and wiggles it. “I suppose a claw thumb could be useful.” He trails off and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for helping me out tonight. I’ll send you pictures when I make the whole thing for the event.”

“I’m glad I could help. This was fun.”

“Call me when you get to your first rodeo stop?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” With a nod, I turn to the door and once my hand turns the knob, Riley calls out.

“Good luck, Jackson.”

“Thanks, Rye.”

Slipping out the door before I can say something else stupid, I punch the elevator button, which opens immediately, and I step on.

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