Page 15 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

Aria swallowed down the nervousness that bloomed inside her. “I wanted to thank you.”

He paused for a moment but didn’t bother tossing her another look before he set to work adjusting the lead rope for the horse.

“You didn’t have to help, but you did,” she tried again. At his silence, she nearly apologized for being frustrated that he’d come to her rescue. But she wasn’t willing to stoop so low. “Anyway, I wanted you to know I appreciated it.”

Ever the silent giant, Daniel kept his mouth clamped shut. What was wrong with him? She’d practically told him he’d been right to bring her home. What more did he want?

Aria huffed, jumping down from her perch.

Whatever. She wasn’t going to wait for him to make a snide comment. She’d done her part.

She made it to the front porch before she yanked her phone from her back pocket. Sophia answered on the second ring.

“Everything okay?” Sophia asked.

“Why do you like him so much?” Aria demanded.

“What?” Sophia let out a distracted laugh. “Who are you talking about?”

Aria turned and looked toward the corral, not surprised to find Daniel completely engrossed in his work. “The beast of a man you and Mateo thought would be a good fit for the horses. Why do you like him?”

“Beast of a man?” Sophia drawled with amusement. “Aria, do you have a crush?”

“What? No. You know me. I’m not interested in anything serious. No connections, remember?”

“Mmhmm. Sure. What did he do?”

“He’s a jerk.” Aria spit out the words before she had a chance to understand what they might sound like to someone like Sophia.

“He’s not a jerk,” Sophia insisted.

“And that’s why I’m calling. Why do you like him so much? Do you have a crush on him?”

Sophia laughed harder. “No. He’s more like a brother to me. That whole family is sort of like our family.”

Aria nearly muttered that Isabelle didn’t feel the same, but she held her tongue.

“Look, their family had it really rough growing up. We only recently got closer to them, but I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be abandoned by their parents. Wade and Annabel practically raised the rest of them. Since Daniel was one of the older ones, I’m sure he had to take care of himself. He’s quiet, sure, but it’s probably because he’s careful not to let anyone in.”

“Really?” Aria asked quietly, her eyes still on Daniel. Her father had been abusive, but her mother had always been there for her and her sister—always making sure to keep them safe when her father went on a rampage. So she wouldn’t know what it felt like to have no parents around.

“Then again, he might be quiet because he lived with eleven other people. Someone was bound to feel like they didn’t have a voice in that situation.”

Yet another explanation that tugged at Aria’s heartstrings. She hated feeling this way. Her head seemed to get a mind of its own, and she chewed on her fingernail. “Do you know if he ever went to school—college or anything?” His interest in architecture at the forefront of her thoughts.

Sophia snorted. “Doubtful. I don’t think any of them went to school. Honestly, if I had to guess, I’d say most of them dropped out of high school.” She paused for a moment. “What’s going on? Seriously, Aria. Did he do something? Say something?”

Aria could have said a million things. The way he seemed to judge her. How secretive he was. The fact that he literally threatened to throw her over his shoulder to get her to come home after she’d had a bad date. She shut her eyes tight and shook her head. “No. Nothing’s going on.”

More silence followed, then Sophia spoke again. “If something’s going on?—”

“Nothing is going on, okay? He’s just—infuriating,” Aria stammered.

“Infuriating,” her cousin seemed to say the word like she was tasting it for the first time. “Infuriating, how?”

Aria groaned. “Fine. I’ll tell you. He wouldn’t let me take my own stuff to the main house when I forgot to move it before he got there. He’s bossy—like he thinks he knows best or something. And he’s always watching me. Like… it’s really…” Creepy? No, that’s not the right word. Unsettling? Not quite right either. Another sigh burst from her lips. “I miss you and Mateo, okay? He’s a stranger. And I’m on edge with the stuff going on about my dad. How is that going, by the way?”

Sophia didn’t speak immediately. Clearly, she was unpacking everything Aria had confessed to. Thankfully, Aria had kept her mouth shut about the date and the way Daniel had come to her rescue. She wasn’t about to let Sophia make any more assumptions about the strange emotions Daniel had elicited in her.

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