Page 54 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

At this point, he couldn’t get a read on her other than the fact that she’d been stressed out. She kept her emotions in check enough that she hadn’t given him anything to work with—not until she got mad at him for intervening.

Just the sight of that man’s hands around Aria’s waist had triggered Daniel in a way that made him question his own sanity. She was his girlfriend. They were together no matter what the guy wanted to believe.

If Cayden thought they were a couple, then what on earth did he think she’d been doing for the last several months?

Something wasn’t adding up.

Daniel let his thoughts spiral out of control as he watched Aria slip off to the house. He should go after her. At least that was what his heart was telling him. She needed him. Whether she liked it or not, she needed him to keep her safe and secure. The more she pushed him away, the more fear grew inside her. He knew her well enough to understand that deep in his soul.

Who was this Cayden? Clearly, he came from money. His clothes, appearance, and the car he drove said plenty to that fact. But not even the nicest appearance could hide the fact that the guy was a bully.

Daniel had dealt with guys like him when he’d fought off his own monsters.

Right now, he needed to regroup and figure out how to help Aria.

Obviously, she didn’t want anything to do with this guy.

Right?

Right.

Daniel shook his head to clear it of all the insecurities he was currently reeling from. If Aria had wanted to be with the guy, she would have said as much when the guy was here. She wouldn’t have pushed him away.

They needed to go out. They needed to forget about what was going on with this Cayden jerk and have some fun.

Daniel nodded to himself and charged toward the house just as the door slammed shut. It took a few minutes to cross theyard, and when he reached the house, he rapped his knuckles on the wood with confidence he wasn’t sure he had.

He expected one of the Palmers to answer the door to tell him that Aria didn’t want anything to do with him. But surprisingly, she was the one who stood before him, her face flushed and her eyes full of emotion. No tears had been spilled yet. Thank goodness. Because if that guy had made her cry, Daniel wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep ahold of the thread of control he currently had in his grasp.

“Come out with me,” he said.

Her brows tilted up, masking the hurt and anger that had been there seconds before. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head, tempted to pull her into his arms and soothe her with words he didn’t have. “I’m being serious. There’s a lot going on right now and I’m not sure why.”

“Don’t you want answers? Not… a date?”

Daniel lifted a shoulder, biting back a response that would confirm her thoughts. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

Still a look of shock remained on her face.

He forced a crooked smile. “I’m not going to let an argument come between us. You’re stressed. I’m stressed. Maybe what we need is to press the restart button.”

Her lips parted out of surprise.

“Come dancing with me,” he urged. “Just you and me. I saw how much you enjoyed the country club that one night. And maybe this time, I can be the one taking you around the dance floor.”

Aria’s tense shoulders relaxed, if only slightly. She nibbled on her lip and glanced away. This was the Aria he had come to love. The one who didn’t care if he saw her more vulnerable side—or perhaps the Aria who waswillingto share that side of herself with him despite her fears.

Daniel stepped closer and took her hand in his, kissing it softly. “Dance with me.”

Aria’s bodypressed against his own as they swayed to another slow song. Her resolve had crumbled. Daniel couldn’t believe he’d gotten her to put aside her frustration and defensiveness to come out with him after everything that had happened since he’d caught her talking to Cayden in town.

Here, with her arms around his neck and his around her waist, the world had finally righted itself. He couldn’t believe that he’d let his irritation rule his emotions before. Aria was worth too much for him to lose her over a petty squabble. As long as she didn’t leave him, he knew he’d be okay.

I love you.

The words were on the tip of his tongue. If all the time he had with her was this moment, he would die happy.

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