Page 6 of The Cowboy's Off Limits Option

Then we both glance toward my brother. Even though Rowan's oblivious to my awkward comment-- his head down, attention focused intensely on his phone-- Archer and I both know that's not the kind of teasing we do with each other.

"Okay, well, thanks then. See ya." Archer raises the hand with the bouquet and waves at me.

As Rowan leads him out the door and down the street-- probably toward O'Hare's, or possibly down to Tapped Out, the brew pub down at the far end of Main Street where they sell Ginger's porter and sometimes her other craft beers-- I watch two of the most important men in my life as they chat easily while they walk and wonder why I can't have it all.

Archer

"Nice flowers,"Rowan nods in the direction of the bouquet on the table beside me. "Who're they for?"

I sip the beer I agreed to have with my buddy, momentarily confused by the question.

Let's face it, I'm just plain confused.

For a second there...shit. For a second I had Cal's soft skin under my hands. It felt so damn good, and I coulda sworn she was looking at me like-- like, I don't know. Something. Like maybe she was hoping for more.

And I was going to give it to her. I was going to spill my guts and fess up to all the things I've been thinking and feeling about her.

Then Rowan showed up. Threatening to kick some guy's ass for making a comment about Callie, and reminding me why I can't have her.

Dammit.

"...damn Montgomery kid can drive out to Middleton for his feed." Rowan takes a long pull of the dark beer he ordered.

"He's got seventeen heifers out there, Row, and he's got a full time day job-- you know he can't be going to Middleton for his feed."

"This porter's really good, you need to try it." Rowan says, savoring his next swig of the dark brew in his glass.

"He was walking by Cal's shop with Jake Manning. Didn't even notice me right behind 'em when he turns to Jake and jabs his thumb toward Callie's window and says 'that's one I'd like in my bed for the winter."

My hand tightens around my pint glass, my jaw clenching as thoughts of putting Jerry Montgomery's head through a fence fill my mind.

Not for the same reasons his comment got to Row though, but because the only bed Calla Lillian is going to be warming is my own.

"See?" Rowan nods toward the death grip I have on my beer. "Tell me you don't want to go over there and remind him Cal's off limits."

My buddy laughs, thinking we're on the same page here and reminding me why I can't come clean with him-- or Callie.

"So who's getting flowers?" Row looks down at the flowers again.

"Um, mom." I stumble to answer and it's not because I don't plan on giving them to Ma when I get back to the ranch tonight, but because I was still lost in the thoughts of Callie that threaten to keep tormenting me till the day I die.

Rowan leans back and grins at me.

"Uh huh, sure, bro."

"What?"

"You got that look on your face, man. That same stupid look your bothers have been wearing around town since they found women to put rings on. Who is she?"

"No man, really, the flowers are for mom."

"Well, I appreciate you supporting Cal's business, either way," he tells me. "She's worked really hard to open her own place. It's the only thing she's focused on since she was a kid, you know."

Nodding, I watch something serious flicker across my buddy's face, something almost like sadness, as he tilts his glass to peer into the dregs of the dark porter he's been working on.

"You know Cal's friend brews this stuff," he half mumbles, "she's opening a tap house up in Moonshine Ridge. City of SlowRiver wouldn't issue her a permit-- said they didn't want more places serving alcohol downtown.

"Cal says Ginger met some guy up there. She's moving up to the Ridge permanently, already talking about marrying this mountain man she just met...I'm worried Cal's gonna..."

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