Page 70 of Cowboys Can't Kiss

The nurses wheel her away, and in a daze, I walk down the hallway to the waiting area to find Jackson at the nurse’s station. Pausing, I watch him as he talks to one of the nurses and signs an autograph. His cheeks turn a shade of pink when an older nurse asks for a photo.

He smiles and I listen to bits of their conversation over the bustle of the hospital.

“My nephew loves watching you. Will you be doing any mentor stuff this winter? He really wants to try steer wrestling.”

“I was thinking about it. It’s been a while since I’ve done kid clinics. The hydroponic gardening took up a lot of my free time.”

“Oh, I loved the strawberries you had a few years ago. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

There’s more, but it all drifts off as I stare at the man I tried to keep at arm’s length. He must feel my attention on him because he turns my way and winks before holding a hand out in my direction.

“If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I have a man to take care of.”

My cheeks heat with the chorus of ‘awws’ from the nursing station as he kisses my cheek and takes my hand.

“You have my number, but I’ll be back when she wakes up. Suppertime right?”

“Yes, Riley. She should be out of recovery by then. She might not be up to a conversation, but she’ll be out of surgery.”

Jackson leads me out of the hospital, and I pull him to a stop once we’re outside.

“I can’t believe out of all the people in this small town, you know my aunt. How is it possible we never crossed paths?”

“Well, I’m a few years older than you. I was away at college while you were in high school. You moved away and came to visit in the summers when I was on the rodeo tour.”

“But, like…it’s my aunt, Jackson. It’s just so bizarre.”

He pulls me into him and hugs me tight. “And yet we never met through her, but at a park. Over hummus.” He kisses the top of my head. “Speaking of, you need to eat and then you have to interview the person who will become your assistant before we come back here.”

We walk again, and words are hard to find. Even at his best, Chase was never this attentive and yet I thought he hung the moon. Now that I’ve let Jackson in and actually opened my eyes to who he really is, I know acutely that I unfairly judged him. If he wasn’t so persistent, I might have missed out on him forever.

The world moves in ways I don’t understand, but I don’t have to understand it to be grateful for it delivering me a second chance at happiness.

twenty

Jackson

“You’re sure it’s okay for us to stay in your space like this, Jack?”

“Mom, it’s fine. I’ll stay at Riley’s.”

My mom and dad always stay at my place when they visit. I usually sleep on the pull-out sofa, but this time I have a better place to lay my head, and I can’t wait for them to meet Riley.

Mom smiles warmly and opens her arms for a hug. “I’m so happy for you, honey. Doesn’t he look glowy, dear?” She’s talking to my dad who’s already poking his head out the door to check the outside light that I still haven’t changed.

“Glowy? Is that what we’re calling it now?” Dad smirks, pleased with his quip, and I release my mom from the hug. “Where’s your ladder, Jackson? Let’s fix this right now.”

Dad can never sit still, and I don’t even bother to argue. “Give me a minute and I’ll get it.” Kissing my mother’s cheek, I whisper, “Thanks Mom. I’ll fill you in after we change the lightbulb that Dad clearly needs to fix right this minute.”

“I’ll make some tea.”

She pats my arm, and I follow Dad to the old barn in the back. When I bought this place ten years ago, I thought I’d turn the barn into an indoor practice facility of sorts. But then I got intohydroponics and it’s now my greenhouse. Practice happens at Hunter’s place instead.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out with the business, son. It’s a shame Cameron left you like that.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’m still working on something. Just not with Cameron. I can do it myself on a smaller scale.”

Dad pokes around my hydroponics setup with a smile on his face. He’s always supported everything I’ve done; from building a complicatedLEGOto gardening to steer wrestling—he’s been there.

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