Page 78 of Wild, Wild Cowboy

Suddenly I realized who he was. Steven MacAllister. His employment at Lodestar Ranch had been cut short when he’d purposefully spooked a horse James was riding. James had ended up with a couple of bruised ribs, and Steven had ended up with a broken nose, courtesy of Adam.

“Jesus, Chloe. It was an accident. Why do you hate me so much? You don’t even know me.”

“I know you.” Her mouth twisted like she tasted something nasty as her eyes traveled from his dusty cowboy boots, up his Wrangler’s, and landed on his face. “You’re the guy who always comes in second and gets mad about it, because no one deserves first place more than you. If someone doesn’t laugh at your joke, it’s because they don’t have a sense of humor. Someone gets promoted over you, they must have cheated. A woman turns you down, she’s a bitch. The world never gives you everything you’re owed, and your list of grievances islong. It’s not fair, right? All of that should be yours. Because you’resuch a nice guy.” She leaned in. “But guess what? No one owes you shit, and you’re trash.”

My gaze bounced anxiously between them. The rage arcing from their eyes was hot enough to start a wildfire.

“Listen,” I said, because if I didn’t saysomething, there was a good chance I’d be emptying my bank account for Chloe’s bail tonight, “the library is open to the public, and you, Steven, are the public. But I don’t think it’s in anyone’s best interest for you to be here right now. If you tell me the name of the book, I can put it on hold for you and you can pick it up tomorrow.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m leaving.” He dragged his gaze from Chloe’s long enough to give me a brief nod. “Ma’am.”

With a last glare at Chloe, he turned toward the door—right as James, with Essie on her heels, came around the corner. James stopped so fast that Essie bumped right into her, her chin colliding with the crown of James’s head.

“James,” Steven rumbled. “I just—” He froze when her eyes widened. I couldn’t see his face, but his shoulders hitched up before lowering again. He cleared his throat. “I was just leaving.”

None of us said a word as he strode out of the library.

“What was Steven doing here?” James asked.

“Looking for a book, apparently.” Chloe snorted. “Like he can read.”

“Chloe,” I chided softly. Not that I harbored any good will toward the man, but it made me uncomfortable to poke fun at a person’s lack of intelligence. Maybe because so much of it had to do with parenting and being lucky with good teachers. Morals and manners, on the other hand, were fair game. I turned to James. “He wasn’t here to talk to you, don’t worry.”

“I was surprised to see him, that’s all. I’m not worried about Steven. I’m worried aboutyou, Hannah.” She touched my arm gently. “What’s going on?”

“It’s because I said that thing about Zack, isn’t it?” Essie asked, her eyebrows pushed together in a worried frown. “Brax asked me if I knew anything, which I obviously took to meanheknewsomething, but then he weaseled out of telling me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me, Essie.” I chewed my lip as tears blurred my visionagain. I wiped frantically under my glasses with the cuff of my sweater. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. We weren’t even together that long, really.”

Essie’s expression went from worried to murderous. “I’m going to kill him,” she announced. “And I can do it, too. My brother showed me how.”

I laughed as I dabbed at my eyes. “Please don’t kill him. He’s really…” I didn’t have words for what he was. Wonderful? That about summed him up. “It wasn’t him. I ended it.”

“Why?” Essie still looked deeply suspicious. “What did he do? Did you find out he has half a dozen secret babies running around?”

“Essie!” James gave an exasperated huff and shook her head. “Don’t listen to her. Zack wouldn’t keep that kind of secret.” She stroked my arm. “Adam and Brax are his brothers, but we’reyourfriends. Whatever happened, we’re on your side.”

Chloe wrapped an arm around me from the other side. “You don’t have to tell us if you’re not ready, but it might help to talk it out.”

I rolled my lips and stared at my damp sweater cuff. “There’s nothing to tell, really. He said he loved me, so I thought it would be better if we went ahead and ended things.”

My words were met with heavy silence. I sniffled a little and wiped my eyes.

“I’m missing something,” Essie said finally. “Are you saying youdon’thave those feelings for Zack? Was he pressuring you to say it before you were ready? Because that’s some high school bullshit we’re not going to put up with.”

“No, he didn’t pressure me. I—we—” I straightened my glasses, my spine, my mind. “It’s notlove.”

“Huh.” Chloe took my hand and pointed at the spot where my tears had turned the cream-colored fabric to a muddy brown. “Then why are you crying?”

Then why are you crying, Hannah?Zack’s voice echoed in my brain.

My heart turned over in my chest. “I don’t know. I miss him, that’s all.”

James hesitated. “Is it possible itcouldbe love? Someday, even if you don’t quite feel that way yet?”

“That’s not—I don’t know how to explain it.” I shook my head. “I know you don’t understand why I did it. Honestly, I don’t entirely understand it myself. It just felt sobad. Soterrifying. I had to get out. It felt like life or death. I know that doesn’t make sense. I just…I was married once. A long time ago.”

“A long time ago? You’re not even thirty. It couldn’t have beenthatlong ago,” Essie said.

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