Page 4 of Cowboys Can't Kiss

“Would you like me to know you?”

Do I? What if I like him? It’s easier to stay in touch with my romantic side by selling it to others. Living through someone else’sdream. He could be another liar. Or he could be a friend. I don’t have many of those here.

Perhaps….

“What if I say yes?”

There’s a long pause and I lift my butt from the bench to see his feet wiggling back and forth. I don’t know why, but that makes me grin like a fool.

“I might be happy to hear a yes.”

“What if I say I like this mystery and I’m not ready to see who you are?”

There’s another long pause and his feet stop wiggling. My alarm sounds from my phone and I curse under my breath. Where did the last forty-five minutes go? I have a client in fifteen minutes.

“Um, I’m sorry, but I have to go. I have a client coming and…” God, this is so stupid. Do I really want to get to know this guy I just met who is lying on the ground in a park without a care in the world? Should I try to forget the shit in my past and move on? Surely I can be brave again, right? Besides, it’s hard for my inner romantic to ignore the romance of meeting a stranger blind.

“Would you meet me here again tomorrow?” the stranger asks. His voice carries a hope that sings to my romantic heart. It’s crazy. But maybe it’s a sign. Maybe I should finally listen.

“Yes, I would.”

A whoosh of air sounds from beneath the tree. “Okay. It’s a date. Enjoy the rest of the day and I hope you ate your salad. The bistro has good food.”

With a goofy grin on my face, I pack up my garbage.

“I ate enough, thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Same time.”

As I rush out of the park, unsure of what just happened, he calls out, “I’ll be here!”

“So you’re going to meet some rando in the park? This isn’t a joke?”

Laughing, I rest my feet on the coffee table and put my best friend, Gabe, on speaker.

“No joke. My aunt keeps telling me to get back out there and not to live for work and all that stuff. I should listen. He’s taken enough of my life away.”

Gabe growls over the phone, and I miss his protectiveness. For a best friend, he can’t be beat.

“Every time I hear his name, I wish I could punch the fuck out of him.”

“He’s not worth the effort, Gabe.” Sighing, I let my head fall back on the couch. “Is it too much for me to hope this stranger might be my Prince Charming? Can’t someone make an honest effort to romance the romance guy?”

“You need hope, Rye. It’s what makes you, you. There’s not a single person I know who deserves a happy ending more than you. If you don’t show up tomorrow, you’ll never know.”

Gabe is right. I know this. If I wasn’t such a sucker for fairy tales and romance, I’d run far away. My heart is still sobruised I’ve kept it in bubble wrap and never, ever thought about giving it to someone else.

Maybe it’s finally time.

“Okay. I’m doing it. I’ll fill you in.”

“You’d better. I live through you. I have ten more years of fourteen-hour days and zero time for relationships. Until then, I need your stories.”

Laughing out loud, I shake my head. Gabe works far too much, but he’s the best lawyer in the city. He knows he can’t dedicate the attention needed to form a lasting relationship right now, which makes me sad because he’d make an amazing partner for the one who catches his eye.

“As long as I amuse you, Gabe.”

He stifles a yawn and papers shuffle in the background.

“Listen, doll, I need to finish this paperwork before I call it a night. I loved talking to you tonight, and I miss you.”

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